Arizona dropped one spot to a four seed in the final ESPN preseason bracketology update posted on Tuesday. Arizona opens the 2025-26 season on Monday night against defending national champion and third-ranked Florida in the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
ESPN Resident Bracketologist Joe Lunardi projected Arizona as a three seed in September, but now has the Wildcats as a four seed. Lunardi projects Arizona to play 13th-seeded UC-Irvine in the first round of the Midwest Regional in San Diego.
The winner between Arizona and UC-Irvine would play whoever emerges victorious between fifth-seeded Arkansas and 12th seed Northern Iowa. The winner in that quad pod would advance to the Midwest Regional Semifinals at the United Center in Chicago.
Arizona has won all four NCAA Tournament games it played at Viejas Arena on the Campus of San Diego State. On their way to the NCAA Tournament West Regional Final in 2014, Arizona defeated Weber State and Gonzaga in the first round at Viejas Arena.
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Arizona defeated Wright State and TCU in 2022 in San Diego to advance to the Midwest Regional Finals in San Antonio. As a projected top-four seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Arizona would receive a preferential location for the first two rounds.
Lunardi projects Purdue as his number one seed in the Midwest Regional. St. John's is projected as the second seed and Louisville third. Arizona would play Purdue in the Midwest Regional Semifinals if the seeds held. Purdue beat Arizona 73-62 in the 2007 NCAA Tournament in their only postseason meeting.
Lunardi projects Arizona's Big XII rival, Houston, as the top overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, playing in the South Regional in its home city. BYU is projected as the third seed in the West by Lunardi and the only Big XII team with Houston higher-seeded than Arizona in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.